Ironing-comb for straightening hair



E. H. TAYLOR.

IRONING 00MB FOR STRAIGHTENING HAIR.

APPLIUATIOH FILED SEPT. 17, 1907.

Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

I avwewtot .Zan ord 6. Tg/or q vi b1 eases UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

EDWARD H. TAYLOR, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF FOUR-TENTHS TOHOLLIS L. ARMSTRONG, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

fie. 917,680.

- To all whom it may concern:

. and comb teeth are cast integral.

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. TAYLOR, acitiaen of the'llnited States,residing at Birmingham, inthe county of Jefl'erson'and Stateof-rAlabama, have invented new and useful litnpipven1ents inIroning-Combs for Straightening Hair, of which the following aspecification.

My invention rela to means for straightening hair and has for its objectto provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device which comprisesa heated cylinder or ironing surface and an adjacent comb or combs, theteeth of which act to draw the hair over the smooth heated surface ofthe cylinder to ironthe hair until it becomes straight. The ironingsurface of the cylinder may be heated in several different ways, and itwill be understood that in referring to an ironing surface I mean toinclude any curved smooth-surface.

My invention further comprises the details of construction andarrangement of parts, hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part.hereof and in which Figure l, is a plan view of my ironing combcomplete. Fig. 2, is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 2. Fig. t, illustratesa modification of my invention in which the ironing surface Fig. 5,illustrates an electrical heater which maybe used in place of thealcohol heater shown in Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi lar parts throughout thedrawings.

My improved device which may be referred to as an ironing comb, ismounted upon a base 1 similar to that of a brush and provided with ahandle 2. The base 1 has a longitudinal opening 3 in its body portionabove which is mounted the ironing cylinder 4. The sides of the openingand the ends of the base are grooved or cut. away to form a seat forthis cylinder which is held in position therein by screws 5. Thecylinder 'is provided with an opening 6 in its bot tom, registering withthe opening 3 in the base and has its outer end open and internallythreaded so as to receive the threaded end of a cylindrical alcohol.reservoir 7. This reservoir has a tubular extension 8 Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed September 17, 1907.

W 9 Big. 0,

V IRONING-GOMB FOR STRAIGHTENING HAIR.

Patented April 6, 1909.

Serial No. 398,388.

which projects into the cylinder substantially to the center thereof andcarries a wick 9. A screw cap 10'c1oses the opening in the reservoirthrough which alcohol or similar fluid is introduced therein. Thereservoir may be placed at the inner end of the cylinder or at any othersuitable point. To provide for the proper supply of air to the interiorof the cylinder, in addition to the opening 6 in thebase thereof, Iprovide a series of openings 11 atthe inner end of the cylinder. As ameans for regulating the supply of air and also reventing a too rapidradiation of heat rom the cylinder after it has been brought to theproper temperature, I provide a curved slide valve or gate 12 in the.cylinder and connect it to the extension 8 by an arm 13 by which it canbe moved around so as to close the opening 6.

The outer end of the valve 12 is connected by a stud 14 to a rotaryvalve plate 15 which bears against the inner end of the cylinder and isprovided with openings 16 so arranged as to register with the openings11 in the cylinder end when the valve 12 is in the position shown inFig. 2. By g'i'vin the reservoir 7 a partial turn to the left, 0thvalves 12 and 15 will be moved to their closed position. This alcoholheater is preferable where electric current is not available.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate an electrically heated drum 17 having terminals18 and '19 to which the wires 20, such as supply current to an ordinaryincandescent light, can be connected. This cylinder can be substitutedfor the cylinder 4 and connected to the base 1. by screws 5, as shown.

The base 1 is grooved on one side to receive the comb 21, the teeth ofwhich project up well over the cylinder and have a curve substantiallycorresponding thereto. Set screws 22 hold this comb in position. On theother side of the cylinder I provide two grooved recesses to receive thecombs 23 and 24, the teeth of the inner comb 23 being shorter andarranged tangentially to the cylinder and extended in height to aboutthe top or a little above of the cylinder. Since the teeth of the combs21 and 23 are disposed so close to the cylinder 4, I prefer that theseshould be made of metal. The teeth of the comb 24 extend above those ofthe comb 23, these two combs being detachably held in placerespectively, by the set screws 25 and 26. The base of the comb 24 V ispreferably of non-conducting material to prevent the radiation of toogreat a heat to the teeth thereof.

In operation, after the cylinder has been brought to the propertemperature condltion. for successfully ironing the hair,.the device isoperated so that the hair is first combed or separated by the teeth ofthe comb 24, after which the teeth of the comb 23 engage the hair andguide it onto the upper smoothed ironing surface of the cylinder, afterwhich the curved teeth of the comb 21 engage the hair causing it to bedrawn tightly over the cylinder so that the latter acts with an iron ingeffect to straighten the hair. In effect the device is grasped in thehand like a brush and passed through the hair in such direction that allthree combs engage the hair and guide it across the interposed ironingsurface. The comb should always be moved so that the comb 24, which isnot heated, will first engage the hair and will be the only part thatcontacts with the scalp.

In Fig. 4 I illustrate a modification in which a cylinder 27 is providedsufliciently largeito receive either of the heating cylinders 4 or 17.This cylinder 27 has formed integral therewith rows of teeth 28, 29 and30 corresponding respectively to the teeth of the combs 21, 23 and'24:of Fig.2. The heating cylinders are inserted in this outer casing andserve to bring it up to the team perature required for ironing the hair.

The combs 21, 23 and 24 are made removable so that a lesser number ordifferent sizes and designs of combs may be used as occasion mayrequire, also the combs can be arranged difl'erently.

The ironing combs may be modified in various ways and within the scopeof the appended claims and without particular limitation to the detailsillustrated.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for straightening hair, the combination with an ironingsurface adapted to be heated, of combing means positioned adjacent tosaid surface and adapted to'hold the strands of hair against saidsurface as the device is moved in operation. and a handle support towhich said surface and comb are rigidly connected.

2. In a device of the character described, a smooth ironing membercurved in cross section, a handle support to which said mem her isrigidly connected, and combing means which project above the saidironing surface and precede it as the device is moved through the hairin operation.

3. In a device of the character described, a, cylinder adapted to beheated, a handle supporting said cylinder, a comb detacha'bly connectedto said handle and positioned along side of said cylinder, the teeth ofsaid comb being curved so as to overhang said cylinder.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with ahandle, of the following devices mounted thereon, to-wit; an ironingmember curved in cross section, means to heat said member from its innerside, and combs positioned on each side of said member.

5. In a device of the character described, an ironing member comprisinga cylinder, means to apply heat to the interior of said cylinder, ahandle upon which said cylinder is mounted, and a plurality of combs onsaid handle adjacent to said cylinder and parallel therewith,substantially as described.

6 In a device of the character described,

an ironing member having a smooth surface curved in cross section andtwo rows of comb teeth between which said surface is disposed, and meansto heat said surface, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, an ironing member having asmooth curved surface, means to heat said member, a handle till to whichsaid member is connected, a plurality of combs and means to detachablyconnect them to said handle adjacent to said cylinder, one comb havingcurved teeth which overhang the cylinder on one side, and two othercombs arranged on the other side adjacent to and parallel with thecylinder, the outer comb having a non-conducting base and provided withteeth which project above the" teeth of the inner comb.

8. In a device of the character described. the combination with anironing member adapted to be heated, of metallic combs disposed on eachside of said member with their teeth in contact therewith and adapted tobe heated thereby, as and for the purposes described.

lfn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- I'IGSSGS.

D. Bnannns, EDWIN WV. DICK.

